Star Wars: Scraper Squadron
by Sandtrooper956
Summary: Scraper Squadron is a story set in between episodes III and IV and around the time of Star Wars: Rebels. Its focus is on a squadron of expert TIE Fighter pilots coming together and fighting for the Empire they believe in. Their loyalty to each other, themselves, and the Empire will be tested through many events and battles.


**Chapter 1**

The watery planet known as Ponitam was a beautiful blue world. The surface of the small ocean planet was almost entirely water, but there were multiple large islands scattered around. The natives once lived a peaceful life away from the war and struggles the rest of the galaxy faced, but war and violence finds everybody eventually.

Today the space around the planet Ponitam was as quiet as usual, save three Rebel Blockade Runners orbiting the planet. The Rebels were distributing aid to the natives on the watery world below, which had recently been raided by a pirate gang. A relief station had been set up on one of the biggest islands down on the planet below.

The natives had initially requested support from the Empire, but had seemingly been ignored. The Rebels had been contacted afterwards, and didn't find out until after they had landed on the planet that the Empire had been contacted first. They knew that it was only a matter of time until the Empire would figure out what was happening on Ponitam, so they had decided to work fast.

"This is Commander Meil to Relief Command Centre, how are things progressing?" The commander from the bridge of the CR-90 corvette "Breaker" inquired.

"We're almost done down here, sir. Things are right on schedule." An exhausted relief officer spoke into his comlink, as Rebels and Ponitam natives alike finished transporting crates and barrels of food, water, and materials from the Rebel transports to the Ponitam submarines using outdated machines and droids.

The Pongiri were the species assisting in transporting the supplies to their subs, and were naturally an aquatic species. They were humanoid, had four long green legs, with flippers on the ends, as well as two arms in the front with five fingered hands. Their heads were a bluish green, completely bald, and had unusually large chins. They had esca on the tops of their heads, which emitted light. The esca were normally found on non-humanoid creatures, but the Pongiri were an exception. The esca could also be turned on and off, as it drained the species. Some of them were using their esca as lights, while others assisted in transporting supplies.

"That's good to hear, but try to speed things up." Commander Meil urged. He then looked up from the console he was talking from, and out the viewport of the CR-90. "The Empire is going to arrive soon, and if we don't get out of here before they show up, things could get very ugly for us, and the Pongiri."

"Copy that sir, we should be able to wrap this up within the hour. Relief Officer Tern out." He said before turning off his comlink, and tucking it away. Tern was a young human male, mid twenties, he had short brown hair, and a scar in the shape of an X across his left cheek. Like many Rebels, he had seen a lot of action in his short life.

After a long day of work, he leaned against the wall of the command centre, rubbing his face. This work was stressful. Things always were for the Rebellion.

"You look worn, please, rest." A Pongiri said as he approached Relief Officer Tern. "No, no I'm fine, thank you." Tern assured the elder alien, even though it was an obvious lie.

"It is impossible to hide to look upon which you bear, savior." The Pongiri elder spoke in a deep, tired voice. "I understand your struggle, I have worked all my life as you do now."

Tern felt ashamed. "Which is why I can't afford to rest until we're done. I haven't worked nearly as hard as I can." He said, pounding his fist against the wall behind him.

The Pongiri smiled. "Come, follow me." He motioned to the door. Tern and the Pongiri elder made their way outside.

The stary night sky reflected off the beach, water going out in every direction as far as the eye could see. The Pongiri directed Tern's attention to the left of the beach, towards all of the Rebels and Pongiri working relentlessly to move the relief supplies.

"We all need to work hard my friend. It is the way of things." The Pongiri established.

"But if you work yourself too hard, nothing will be accomplished, and time will be wasted." He continued, pointing to another, younger Pongiri attempting to use his esca and move supplies both at once. The youth tripped, landing face first on the ground and dropping all of the supplies he was attempting to carry. His esca also went out.

Tern conceded defeat. "Yeah, I know. I just hate feeling useless. I want to do everything I can to help at every chance I get, because the Empire won't just wait for us to make a difference." He sighed.

"You are correct, but know that you are never alone." The Pongiri replied, as another Pongiri went over to help the fallen youth up, and together they transported the supplies into a sub. "You never have to do everything yourself, there will always be others who share the same resolve as you."

Tern didn't know what to say to that, so he just nodded, and pondered what the elder was saying.

Meanwhile back in orbit, Commander Meil was chatting with another officer aboard the bridge when suddenly a console started beeping a warning.

Right then two Imperial Light Carriers, as well as three Gozanti Class Cruisers jumped out of hyperspace. The Gozanti Cruisers immediately deployed several TIE Fighters from underneath their hulls.

"Imperial Warships!" Commander Meil yelled, startled by the sudden arrival. He had expected them eventually, but not nearly this soon. "All troops evacuate the planet immediately, return to our ships!" Commander Meil quickly ordered.

"What about the Pongiri?" Tern questioned through the comm system. "We haven't offloaded all of the supplies yet!"

"They got most of them, and that's what matters." Commander Meil reassured. "We need to get out of here before the Imperials tear us to shreds!" He would've liked to have given more to the Pongiri, but they had done all they could. The Empire couldn't easily follow them to the depths of the planet's huge oceans, so they should be safe after they left.

Back on the surface alarms were blaring, and the Rebels scrambled to their transports while the Pongiri made their way to their submarines.

"Goodbye my friend." The Pongiri elder said to Tern as he was giving orders. "Good luck in your travels, and thank you for everything." The elder finished.

"No, I should thank you." Tern said. "You taught me something today I might have never learned myself." Tern and the elder exchanged a smile, then parted ways. Tern ran off towards one of the transports and the elder made his way to a sub.

In orbit above the planet, the Imperial Light Cruisers were firing their turbolaser batteries towards the CR90 corvettes. Some of the laser blasts flew past the Rebels ships, while others were absorbed by their shields. Meanwhile TIE Fighters flew around the Rebel ships, firing on their engines. "Sir, our shields won't last much longer!" An anxious rebel warned to Commander Meil.

Bam-koom! The engines of one of the corvettes had taken critical damage from a TIE fighter, and their hyperdrive was destroyed. The ship was dead in space. Mere seconds later a second corvette met with a similar fate, this time completely imploding. A laser blast from one of the Light Cruisers then finished the first corvette off.

The only corvette left was The Breaker, and it was about to join the rest of the Rebel blockade soon. "Transports, this is Commander Meil! Nearly all of our ships are gone, and we have to leave now!" The commander regretfully shouted into the comm system.

"You're leaving us behind? You were supposed to cover our escape in this situation, that's the protocol!" Tern shouted through the comm, panicking.

Commander Meil calmed himself, and closed his eyes. "If we stay any longer we'll die, and you likely will too. We have no choice, I'm sorry. We hope you can escape with your-" Boom-Kaoom! The commander never finished. A precise shot from one of the TIE fighters had hit the bridge of the corvette, killing the crew instantly. The rest of the ship soon followed.

The five transports had just broken out of the upper atmosphere of Ponitam, but had no chance of escaping. With their escort swiftly destroyed, they had no chance of charging their hyperdrives in time to escape.

"What're we gonna do!?" A panicked trooper screamed aboard one of the transports. What were they going to do? There was nothing they could do. There wasn't any way out of this one, no tricks, no ideas. Nothing.

The lesson Tern had learned down on Ponitam wouldn't matter, because all five transports were quickly destroyed by a barrage of laser fire from the squadron of TIE fighters that had already defeated their escort. Kar-kack-boom! The final transport exploded in a blaze of glory.

Swiftly, efficiently, and without mercy. The terrorists were destroyed, all of them. Another mission for LS-670 was complete, and she had proven herself to be a more than capable pilot once again. Returning to the fleet, she docked her TIE Fighter with one of the Gozanti class cruisers and prepared for debriefing.

* * *

 **Notes**

So here's my first attempt at writing for anyone who happens to read this. I know this is first chapter is short but it's just here to set things up. More to come!


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